NBA ANNOUNCES AFFILIATIONS WITH NBA DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE FOR 2013-14 SEASON

- Fourteen NBA Teams Have ‘One-to-One’ NBA D-League Affiliations -

NEW YORK , July 15, 2013 – The National Association and the NBA Development League, the official minor league of the NBA, today announced the affiliation system for the 2013-14 season. An all-time high fourteen NBA teams will have single NBA D-League affiliates including first-year partnerships between the and Sioux Falls Skyforce, and Delaware 87ers, and Sacramento Kings and Reno Bighorns.

For the ninth consecutive year, each NBA team has one NBA D-League team to which it may assign players. During the 2012-13 season, the NBA D-League saw all-time highs in NBA player assignments (184) and individual players assigned (58) from their NBA parent clubs. Twenty six players drafted in 2012 spent time on assignment in the NBA D-League, including 11 first round selections. , selected 12 th overall by the and , the 13 th overall selection by the , headlined the group of 2012 NBA Draft picks to play in the NBA D-League last season.

In all, the assigned seven players to their affiliate, the , the highest number of individual players to play on assignment from one team last season. The Thunder assigned Lamb and four other players to the Tulsa 66ers, while the Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs each assigned four players to develop with their minor league affiliates, the Idaho Stampede and Austin Toros, respectively.

For the second season, NBA players in the first three years of their NBA careers may be assigned to their NBA D- League affiliate an unlimited number of times, according to the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement, while for the third consecutive year, players beyond the first three years of their NBA careers may be assigned to their NBA D- League affiliate with their consent and the consent of the NBA Players Association. Last season, the NBA D-League saw veterans Amar’e Stoudemire (, Erie BayHawks) and Keyon Dooling (, Bighorns) take advantage of NBA D-League assignments to rehabilitate injuries or further develop their games.

“We're excited that nearly half of the NBA has now acquired an exclusive NBA D-League affiliation, which demonstrates how important the NBA D-League has become for player, coach, and staff development," said Dan Reed, NBA D-League President. "Once again we look forward to providing an effective 'farm system' benefiting all 30 NBA teams, current NBA players at all stages of their careers, and top NBA prospects aspiring to achieve their NBA dreams."

Of the 17 NBA D-League teams playing during the 2013-14 season, six are fully owned and operated by their NBA affiliates: the Austin Toros (San Antonio Spurs), Canton Charge (Cleveland Cavaliers), Delaware 87ers (Philadelphia 76ers), Los Angeles D-Fenders (), (), and Tulsa 66ers (Oklahoma City Thunder). The Erie BayHawks (New York Knicks), Idaho Stampede (Portland Trail Blazers), Maine Red Claws (), Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Houston Rockets), Reno Bighorns (Sacramento Kings), Sioux Falls Skyforce (Miami Heat) and Springfield Armor () are the seven NBA D-League teams with ‘hybrid’ single-affiliation partnerships, where NBA teams control the NBA D-League affiliates’ basketball operations. The Dallas Mavericks remain solely affiliated with the .

The remaining three NBA D-League teams will have five or six NBA parent teams: Bakersfield Jam (Atlanta Hawks, , Phoenix Suns, , ), (Charlotte Bobcats, , , Memphis Grizzlies, , ), Iowa Energy (, Denver Nuggets, , New Orleans Pelicans, ).

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The NBA D-League continues to be a springboard for NBA talent with 30 percent of all NBA players on 2012-13 end-of-season rosters having played in the NBA D-League during their careers.

The complete affiliation system for 2013-14 is listed below:

2013-14 NBA DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE TEAM AFFILIATIONS

AUSTIN TOROS (TX) IOWA ENERGY (Des Moines, IA) San Antonio Spurs Chicago Bulls Denver Nuggets BAKERSFIELD JAM (CA) Minnesota Timberwolves Atlanta Hawks New Orleans Pelicans Los Angeles Clippers Washington Wizards Phoenix Suns Toronto Raptors LOS ANGELES D-FENDERS (CA) Utah Jazz Los Angeles Lakers

CANTON (OH) MAINE RED CLAWS (Portland, ME) Cleveland Cavaliers Boston Celtics

DELAWARE 87ERS (Newark, DE) RENO BIGHORNS (NV) Philadelphia 76ers Sacramento Kings

ERIE BAYHAWKS (PA) RIO GRANDE VALLEY VIPERS (TX) New York Knicks Houston Rockets

FORT WAYNE MAD ANTS (IN) SANTA CRUZ WARRIORS (CA) Charlotte Bobcats Golden State Warriors Detroit Pistons Indiana Pacers SIOUX FALLS SKYFORCE (SD) Memphis Grizzlies Miami Heat Milwaukee Bucks Orlando Magic SPRINGFIELD ARMOR (MA) Brooklyn Nets IDAHO STAMPEDE (Boise, ID) Portland Trail Blazers TEXAS LEGENDS (Frisco, TX) Dallas Mavericks

TULSA 66ERS (OK) Oklahoma City Thunder

About the NBA Development League The NBA Development League is the NBA’s official minor league, preparing players, coaches, officials, trainers, and front-office staff for the NBA while acting as the league’s research and development laboratory. Featuring 14 teams with direct affiliations to NBA franchises, the league offers professional basketball at an affordable price in a fun, family-friendly atmosphere. Thirty percent of players in the NBA at the end of the 2012-13 season boasted NBA D-League experience. In fostering the league’s connection to the community, its teams, players and staff promote health and wellness, support local needs and interests, and in educational development through NBA D-League Cares programs. Fans can watch all NBA D-League games on nbadleague.com

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